Aging, Energy & Sleep

I don't really like talking about aging, but I am 45 and it is happening whether I like it or not. I have been active all of my life and I know that activity slows the aging process, so I am happy about that, but probably like a lot of 40 somethings, I dread the inevitable.
What I remember about my 20's was that I could workout hard during the day, drink a cup of coffee and go out dancing at 10:00 or 11:00 and sweat till my hair was drenched. I would literally bounce off the walls with energy. During my student teaching and rookie years as a teacher I would only sleep about 5-6 hours per night in order to grade papers etc. At that time, I wasn't really affected by my lack of sleep. I just forged ahead.
In my 30's, I started teaching fitness full-time, so that meant 5-6 hours a day of activity. The late nights out dancing drastically reduced to every once in a blue moon. To put myself through grad school, I worked several jobs, traveled to present and again slept at a reduced rate until age 35. I received my M.A. and I was diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue. My long days and late nights had finally caught up with me.
Then I changed my life. I decided no late nights and no early mornings. I began to sleep 7-8 hours a night for the first time in decades. I noticed that when I got proper sleep, I recovered from workouts more quickly and I felt like I was getting all of the benefits from my training. My weight was easy to maintain and I felt good most of the time! If you are looking for the perfect elixir, look no further than your bed! Sometimes it actually is that simple!